Fifth anniversary of 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan

The Hirata family visit the remains of their houses, at tsunami-devastated Ukedo district, just five kilometers north of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Buddhist monks pray for victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster which hit northeastern Japan in 2011 in front of former municipal disaster prevention centre building in the town of Minamisanriku, Japan.

People throw flowers into the sea to offer prayers for victims at tsunami-devastated Abraham, coastal district of Sendai, northern Japan to mark the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami.

Residents pray for the quake and tsunami victims before candle lights while a candle boat displays “3.11” letters in Kamaishi, Japan.

A boy walks past the paper lanterns at Natori City Office to mark the fifth anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami which claimed the lives of 15,894, and the subsequent damage to the reactors at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Japanese Emperor Akihito, right, along with Empress Michiko, delivers a speech in front of an altar for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami at the national memorial service in Tokyo.